Thursday, September 14, 2017

Court attaches Mohali railway station, 2 engines

A local court has ordered the attachment of Mohali railway station and two locomotives after Railways failed to pay the enhanced compensation rates to the residents of a village from whom it had acquired land in 1999.

"The court gave the orders after railways failed to turn up for the hearing on Wednesday ," said Gurwinder Singh Sandhu, counsel for the petitioners. Railways had acquired the land in Kambala village to construct the ChandigarhLudhiana rail line, according to the petition.

The locomotives which will be attached are of Ambala-Kalka Express and Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast trains. The official vehicles of the concerned railway officers will also be attached. Railways have been asked to file a reply by September 22 failing which the court will give orders to auction the property to pay the compensation to the original land owners.

"Although these attachment orders are given in one petition, there are numerous land owners who have not been compensated as per the enhanced rates given by the Punjab and Haryana high court. The HC had then sent the case to the district court," Sandhu said. The case pertains to the acquisition of around seven acres of land for Rs 1.7 crore. Railways had announced an award of Rs 5.52 lakh per acre in 2001 which was enhanced to Rs 7.5 lakh in 2004 and further raised to Rs 23.34 lakh after the villagers approached the court alleging inadequate compensation. Some farmers were paid but those who filed the petition were left out.

In 2015, the Mohali district administration had paid Rs 5 crore as enhanced compensation after court orders to attach the property of Mohali railway station. In this case as well, the Railways had failed to give revised compensation to farmers whose land was acquired for construction of the station in 2005. The court had attached three railway tracks, booking and reception office, railway bridge, one power house, water tank, an under-construction building, 12 chairs, eight fans and tubelights and residential quarters of the station superintendent and class IV employees of railways.